Never before had I found an urgent knock on the door so pleasing to the ear.

I opened the door, only to see my grandmother. She was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday, but she looked even thinner. Her cheeks were sunken in.

With a face full of joy, I was about to call out to her.

But just as the word was stuck in my throat, she covered my mouth. My grandmother, who had been working in the fields, should have smelled of earth.

However, all I could smell was a faint stench, like a dead rat’s odor lingering for days.

I thought my grandmother might have stepped on a dead rat and didn’t pay much attention to it.

She hurriedly shoved a wad of something into my hand and mouthed a message to me.

"Don't tell your parents."

After saying that, she hurriedly left, as if she had never come. Only the thing in my hand proved her existence.

At that moment, my father's voice sounded from behind. Even my haggard, unrecognizable mother came out of the bedroom.

"Who was it?"

I quickly hid the thing my grandmother had given me in my sleeve.

"No, nobody. Maybe someone knocked on the wrong door and left."

"Oh...”

My mom sighed weakly behind me. For some reason, I suddenly got goosebumps. I turned to look at her.

Dad was supporting her, standing not far behind me. Dad's expression was very serious.

"Xiao Xi, didn't Dad tell you not to open the door for anyone?"

Dad's dangerous voice sounded in front of me. I bit my lip in fear.

"I-I understand."

My head hung low because Dad's face was so frightening, as if he would devour me the next second.

I tried my best to return to my room to hide.

But Mom called me back.

"Xiao Xi. How are you?"

I was slightly startled, then realized she was probably worried about me eating scallions yesterday.

I turned around and forced a smile.

"I'm fine now. I didn't notice yesterday. It won't happen again."

Only then did she relax.

"That's good. Otherwise... I've been too neglectful of you lately. I'm sorry."

Otherwise? Otherwise what? Looking at the guilt on my usually doting mother's face, I felt terrible inside.

"It's okay, Mom. Take care of yourself so you can find my brother."

Her guilty expression paused for a moment, then she nodded at me.

I went into my room. Hearing Dad talking to Mom outside reassured me, so I took out what was hidden in my sleeve.

It was a wad of white paper, the kind of high-quality printing paper.

I was puzzled about what exactly Grandma had given me. I couldn't wait to open it.

It was a hospital diagnosis.

Lin Xiaohe, severe heart damage.

Below that, there were wobbly words written in pencil.

This handwriting was unmistakably my grandma's, who had only attended first grade.

[Xiao Xi. Now only your brother and you are alive. Don't trust your parents; they aren't your real parents. They want to transplant your heart into your brother Xiaohe, then take over his body.]

What does this mean? My brain felt like mush. Why would loving parents want to transplant my heart into my brother's and take over his body?

And what does it mean that only the two of us are alive? Could it be that Mom also...

I didn't dare think further. It was just too incredible. I shook my head at the words. It must be fake.

But if the hospital diagnosis was fake,

why would Grandma lie to me?

It didn't make sense. The only way to verify Grandma's words was to visit the hospital.

Yes, as long as I confirm that my brother is really being treated at the hospital, I'll know if Grandma is lying.

Determined, I decided to sneak out while my parents were resting.

After dinner, I went to bed early. To prevent Dad from entering my room, I even locked the door from inside.

Watching the clock on my desk tick away second by second, I finally understood what it meant for time to crawl.

At last, it was midnight. I pressed my ear against the door, listening outside. Only when I heard nothing did I dare open the door.

The moment I opened the door, I was met by a face so twisted it was unrecognizable.

"Ah..."

The face was so twisted, as if wrung out like a rag. It was a monster seen on TV.

It was even more terrifying than Dad's long neck. More frightening than Dad's lack of a shadow.

"Xiao Xi. What's wrong? My poor daughter."

But the voice coming from the monster was still my mom's concerned voice.

I couldn't stop trembling. I had once hoped that Mom knew nothing.

Now I completely believed Grandma's words. They were no longer my parents.

I knew I shouldn't show fear, but I couldn't help it. The sound of my teeth chattering echoed in my head.

The closer the monster mom got, the more I backed away. My heart pounded so hard it felt like it would leap out of my throat.

I swallowed hard, trying to find something to knock this monster mom down.

But my frail body hardly seemed capable of doing that. It was unrealistic.

Yet another strong voice within me insisted that I couldn't let the monster mom catch on. I took several deep breaths with my eyes closed.

I managed to suppress some of my panic. But the monster mom was just too horrifying; I couldn't suppress much.

"Mom, what are you doing here?"

My voice trembled significantly. Anyone could see my fear.

But the monster mom didn't seem to notice. Her voice remained gentle and caring, just like my real mom's.

"Xiao Xi. Why did you lock the door? Mom couldn't get in. I must stay with you. What if you disappear too?"

I had backed into a corner. Her grayish-blue hand was about to touch my face.

Sweat poured down my face like a heavy rain, dripping non-stop.

With a sudden jolt, I crouched down.

"Mom, my stomach hurts. I need to go to the bathroom."